U.S. patent number 4,538,805 [Application Number 06/546,169] was granted by the patent office on 1985-09-03 for counter-action device for exercise device.
Invention is credited to Arno Parviainen.
United States Patent |
4,538,805 |
Parviainen |
September 3, 1985 |
Counter-action device for exercise device
Abstract
A counter-action device for an exercise device comprising a
stack of weight slabs preferably of equal weight and size, a
desired part of the stack of weight slabs being adapted to serve as
counter-weight for a physical exercise. On either side of the stack
of weight slabs are supplementary weights which can be removably
attached to the counter-action device by a locking mechanism.
Inventors: |
Parviainen; Arno (SF-00601
Helsinki 60, FI) |
Family
ID: |
8515847 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/546,169 |
Filed: |
October 27, 1983 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
482/98;
482/99 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63B
21/0628 (20151001) |
Current International
Class: |
A63B
21/06 (20060101); A63B 21/062 (20060101); A63B
021/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;272/118,117,134,123,143,93 ;D21/196 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
D261021 |
September 1981 |
Lambert, Sr. |
4349192 |
September 1982 |
Lambert, Jr. et al. |
4358107 |
November 1982 |
Nissen |
|
Primary Examiner: Apley; Richard J.
Assistant Examiner: Bahr; Robert W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Andrus, Sceales, Starke &
Sawall
Claims
I claim:
1. An exercise device, comprising a frame, guide means mounted on
the frame, a transmission mechanism including connecting means, a
stack of weight slabs mounted for movement relative to said frame
on said guide means, the uppermost slab of said stack being
attached to said connecting means and the remaining slabs in said
stack being selectively removably connected to said connecting
means, a supplemental weight disposed on each side of said stack of
weight slabs and mounted for movement relative to said frame on
said guide means, and locking means for selectively locking each of
the supplemental weights to said uppermost slab, a selected number
of said slabs being adapted to serve as counterweight for physical
exercise and said supplemental weights being selectively
connectable to said uppermost slab to increase the magnitude of
said counterweight.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein the combined weight of said
supplemental weights is equal to that of said stack.
3. The device of claim 1, wherein said supplemental weights are of
equal weight and uniform size.
4. The device of claim 1, wherein said locking means comprises a
first locking element mounted on the upper portion of each
supplemental weight and a second locking element engageable with
the first locking element and carried by said uppermost slab.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein said first locking element
comprises a pin mounted for horizontal sliding movement on said
supplemental weight and said second locking element comprises a
notch in said uppermost slab.
6. The device of claim 1, and including a connecting member
connecting the supplemental weights together.
Description
The present invention relates to a counter-action device for an
exercise device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Exercise devices are used to exercise certain muscle groups or
muscles and joints, whereby a muscle and joint are subjected to
stress. For exercising different muscles and joints, the
manufacturers design various pieces of equipment whose common
feature is that the movement and strength of muscles and joints are
transmitted by means of transmission mechanisms to a counter-action
device, which counteracts this force. Hence, ready adjustment of
the load of a counter-action device is essential, since the load
determines the strength of this resistance force and the load must
be readjusted quite often because of a variety of persons to
practice and purposes of exercise.
In the present exercise devices, the most commonly used
counter-action device comprises a stack of weight slabs. A stack of
weight slabs generally includes approximately 10 to 30 weight slabs
of equal size and weight. A desired number of weight slabs are
mounted e.g. by means of a cotter on a transmission mechanism,
whereby the load can be varied according to the number of weight
slabs. Furthermore, a stack of weight slabs is generally guided by
guiding rods or the like. This type of counter-action devices are
safe, noiseless and their load adjustment can be readily and
quickly effected.
A problem usually encountered in the use of a stack of weight slabs
is the inadequate number of weights when using the same device for
both normal keep fit programs and heavy exercise action. Thus, the
weights are not always sufficient for even an amateur, let alone a
strong athlete. In order to increase the load, it is necessary to
suspend from a stack more weights, e.g. weight lifting discs, which
is dangerous and inconvenient. If there is a sufficient number of
weight slabs, the stack will be so high that, together with the
displacement range required by said stack, the device will become
too high, circa 2 to 3 meters, whereby working of a large number of
slabs for a stack increases costs even further. If heavier, in
other words longer and wider slabs are made, a stack of slabs won't
grow unduly high. However, the increase or gap between weights will
then be too much. When working on rather small practice weights, an
increase of 10 to 15 kg at a time may be far too much. In addition,
the options of choosing the total load will be too few. Another
possibility is to adjust the gear ratio of transmission in a manner
that even a small weight feels sufficiently heavy, thus eliminating
the need for a large and high stack. In this case, however, a heavy
gear ratio requires a long path of travel for the load and,
secondly, the increase will be too much as a minor increase of
weight means in fact a major increase because of the gear ratio. At
the present time, when using a so-called normal stack of weights,
it is necessary to compromise either with total load, proper
increases or number of options unless the result is to be an
exercise device 2 to 3 meters high, with over a meter high pile of
costly manufactured weight slabs stacked therein.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to overcome the above
drawbacks. A particular object of the invention is to provide a
counter-action device, having both a sufficient loading capacity
and plenty of options as well as sufficiently small increases at
all loads. A further object is to provide a safe, easy to use and
readily adjustable counter-action device. Still a further object of
the invention is to provide a counter-action device that is simple,
inexpensive to manufacture and adaptable to serve as counter-action
equipment for low exercise devices.
According to the invention, there are supplementary weights mounted
on either side of a stack of weight slabs. They can be removably
affixed to a transmission mechanism. With the supplementary weights
mounted on, the exercise device is equally safe, quick and light to
use as a device provided with a normal stack of weight slabs, but
the drawbacks of the latter are eliminated. If the entire stack of
weight slabs is already piled on and the intention is to step up to
an increased load, the supplementary weights on either side of said
stack are coupled on and the degree of loading is adjusted by means
of the basic stack.
According to the invention, the total weight of supplementary
weights is preferably equal to the weight of a stack of weight
slabs. Thus, by employing said supplementary weights, it is
possible to choose from the basic stack a load exceeding the
supplementary weights exactly with the same accuracy as in the
minor load category. Thus, the degree of loading the device can be
chosen sufficiently high, simultaneously maintaining proper
increases and adding to the number of options. If compared to the
prior art equipment, this serves to achieve a double loading
capacity and double number of options in the device, while at the
same time maintaining sufficiently small increases at all loads. In
addition, the equipment is not any higher than the presently used
equipment. The equipment is also safe since there is no need to use
separate slabs or the like as supplementary weights.
According to the invention, the supplementary weights are
preferably of equal weight and size. Thus, the equal supplementary
weights counterbalance each other's action and facilitate their
handling. Furthermore, by virtue of their conformity, the
supplementary weights can be readily manufactured e.g. by using
some heavy material, such as lead, as a weight. The housing of such
a supplementary weight can be made e.g. of steel and its core of
lead, resulting in lower manufacturing costs than those of equally
heavy weight slabs.
According to the invention, the locking mechanism of said
supplementary weights preferably comprises a knob, a lock pin and
guides. The knob is fixed to said lock pin and readily maneuvreable
manually for moving the lock pin on said guides. Still according to
the invention, the topmost weight slab of a stack of weight slabs
is machined to form a notch for the lock pin of a locking
mechanism. By maneuvering the knob said lock pin is caused to move
into the notch in said weight slab and can be locked therein and,
thus, the supplementary weights are moved together with the top
weight slab.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be explained with reference made to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a back view of one embodiment of a device of the
invention with a stack of weight slabs secured to a transmission
mechanism and uplifted,
FIG. 2 is a back view of the device shown in FIG. 1 with
supplementary weights mounted on the top weight slab and
uplifted,
FIG. 3 shows in partial cross-section and in side view a locking
mechanism for the supplementary weights of a device of the
invention, and
FIG. 4 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG. 3 with the cover
removed.
DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
The device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a frame 1, guide rods
2, a power transmission mechanism 3 and a counter-action device 5.
Guide rods are secured at their ends to the device frame. The
counter-action device comprises a stack of weight slabs consisting
of weight slabs 6 of equal weight and size. Said weight slabs can
be removably secured to a rope-like element 4 which through
transmission mechanism 3 communicates with equipment (not shown in
the figures) used for physical exercises. Thus, the counter-action
device resists the exercise action and exerts load on the muscles
and joints to be exercised. Permanently fixed to the end 14 of said
rope element is the top weight slab 6a. Also secured to the end is
a rod 7 acting as a locking element for weight slabs. The weight
slabs can be secured to rod 7 by means of a cotter pin 15. Thus,
the weight slabs are so prepared that holes are provided therein
for guide rods, a central hole for the locking rod and a side hole
for the cotter pin. The cotter pin can be used to mount a desired
number of weight slabs on rod 7, said weight slabs moving upwards
along the guide rods as element 4 is lifted up. The movement of a
stack of weight slabs or part of such stack depends on the exercise
movement and the transmission gear ratio.
Mounted on either side of a stack of weight slabs are supplementary
weights 8. The supplementary weights are mutually of equal weight
and supported to each other by means of a support rod 9, whereby
they counterbalance and support each other when lifted up. Each
supplementary weight is made integral which means low manufacturing
costs. Such a weight comprises a shell or housing 16 that contains
some heavy material, preferably lead. The combined weight of
supplementary weights is equal to that of a stack of weight slabs.
Hence, the application of supplementary weights doubles the load
and options of a device while maintaining a small increase gap.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the supplementary weights can be locked
to the top weight slab if desired. A locking mechanism (10)
comprises a knob 20, lock pins 11 as well as guides 12. Guides 12
are mounted on housing 16 of the supplementary weights and provided
with holes 17 for lock pins 11 moving therethrough. Said housing of
the supplementary weights is provided with an aligned hole 18
through which the lock pins can be moved. Knob 20 is connected to
the lock pins by means of an advancer 19. Thus, maneuvering of the
knob also moves the lock pins in the desired direction. The top
weight slab 6a of a stack of weight slabs has been machined to form
a notch 13. When the stack of weight slabs and the supplementary
weights are in their rest position, said knob 20 is pushed towards
the weight slabs, whereby lock pins 11 move into notches 13 and
engage the supplementary weights securely to weight slab 6a. The
cotter pin can then be used to select a desired number of weight
slabs from the basic stack for a given physical exercise. As such
exercise is being performed, the supplementary weights rise along
with the top weight slab and are steered by said guide rods.
The invention has been described above with reference made to one
embodiment thereof, but the invention is by no means to be limited
to such embodiment as it covers all alternatives within the scope
of the inventive idea set forth in the claims.
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